In an earlier post, I noted that a DorothyBrookes married ThomasFlippin, 1769, Gloucester Co., VA. They had 3 known children, – Armistead (b. 1770), Jenny (b. 1775), and Thomas Flippin (b. 1773) – who were born in Gloucester Co., VA. and recorded in the Kingston Parish Registry.

Although Dorothy Brooks’ parents are not known by me at this time, I believe she is connected to one of the Thomas Brooks families of Gloucester Co., VA and Caswell Co., NC.

The following are Brooks – Flippin references from Caswell Co., NC:

April court 1790 – Henry Flippin, orphan of Thomas Flippin, late of Gloucester Co., VA, chose Thomas Brooks Sen. to be his guardian. Thomas Brooks Jun, attorney, was appointed power of attorney to demand and receive all negroes, money, etc. due said orphan from the estate.

January Court, 1794 – Armistead Flippin reported the inventory of the estate of Thomas Brooks, dec’d.

[Note: I am not sure if the Thomas Brooks estates in 1794 and 1795 are for the same person because Jane is only mentioned as co-admin on the later one – To Do: Copy and review estate file of Thomas Brooks, 1794, Caswell Co., NC]

April Court 1798 – Jane Brooks and Armistead Flippin produced an account settlement for the estate of Thomas Brooks, Jun. (listed payments to persons)

Note GS 5/18/07: It is possible that Jane Brooks was the wife of Thomas Brooks and she administered his estate along with Armistead Flippin. Jane was probaby “Jenny” Flippin from the Gloucester Co., VA Kingston Parish Registry, daughter of Thomas Flippin and Dorothy Brookes, born Feb 10, 1775. Kay Haden (khaden at comcast dot net) included this information in the pdf file she sent to me on 5/17/07 on Jonathan Brooks. In her file, she listed Thomas Brooks Jr married Jane “Jenny” Flippin 16 Feb 1791 in Caswell Co., NC. She cited W. Leigh Brooks and IGI as her sources for this information.

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Additional Flippin family references in Caswell Co., are:

Janurary court 1804 – Armistead Flippin is allowed to keep 1 negro named John from the estate of Henry Dixon Jr; The legatees “agreed he shall keep for his share of estate.”

Note: Armistead Flippin must be connected to the Dixon family somehow to receive items from his estate.

In 1808, Samuel Flippin purchased items from the estate of Phillip Cox.

Yesterday I emailed Kay Haden who posted a rootwebs family tree file that included information on the Brooks, Williams, and Holderness families. In her file, she lists Thomas and Mary Blacknall Brooks as the parents of Elizabeth (md. Holderness), George, Charles, and Christopher Brooks (md. Susannah Williams). In her email, she listed the Kingston Parish Registry of Gloucester (later Matthews Co.), VA as her source for the information on George and Christopher Brooks. I found copies of the registry online on ancestry.com. I was able to pull all of the references to the Brook(e)s families, as well I found the connection to the Flippin family.

There were 17 entries for Brook(e)s family members in the Kingston Parish Registry of Gloucester Co., VA (Kingston Parish became Mathews County, VA in 1791). Some of the entries indicate time of birth, marriage, death, and familial relationships. There are two page numbers listed at the end of each entry, the first is the page in Matheny’s book; the second page number is the page of the original vestry register.

Many researchers believe George Brooks to be the father of Christopher William Brooks, b. 1781. A land grant was issued to George Brooks, Sgt by the state of NC for 1000 acres in Maury Co., TN for Revolutionary War Service. The land grant stated that the land was to be transferred to Christopher Brooks, “heir of George Brooks.” Because Christopher Brooks was still a minor, the land grant was then transferred to Henry Williams, whom I believe to be Christopher’s grandfather (assuming Christopher is son of Christopher Brooks Sr and Susannah Williams). After Henry Williams died, Elizabeth Williams, his wife and executrix of his estate, sold his interest in this land to Nathan Williams (probably son of Elizabeth and Henry Williams) in 1813.

Today, I searched for George Brooks in the records at the NC State Archives, 109 E. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC. My goal was to find some hint of relationship to other Brooks family members. Although I did not see mention of any family members, I did find the following records:

These records need to be searched again. The Grantors index was indecipherable because the pages copied were too light. Kendall’s Deed Abstracts 1777-1817 (at the Olivia Raney History Library) were reviewed in lieu of the index. See below

6. Caswell Co., NC Deed Abstracts 1777 – 1817 (Kendall)

Deed book A, page 144, 1779: State of NC – No. 57, to Elisha Parks, 300 acres on both sides of middle fork of south fork of Country Line Cr adjacent claims of Samuel Kelly, William Gooch, George Brooks, John Anthony, Elijah Mason. 3 May 1779. chain carriers John Anthony, Ransom Atkinson. (Abstracts, p. 9) This 300 acres of land was then sold by Elisha Parks to Thomas Johnston of Culpepper Co (see below). [Note: this was probably taken in March; The date of May was probably a mistake by the abstractor. Subsequent deed information continues to be dated in March.] Source: Caswell Co., NC Deed Books, 1777-1817, Abstracts, Katherine Kerr Kendall, p.9

In 1757, Daniel Williams, planter, of Granville Co., NC deeded a tract of land consisting of 420 acres in Lunenburg Co., VA to his son, Henry Williams “for love and affection.” Henry and his wife Elizabeth lived in Lunenburg Co., VA through 1762. In 1764 Lunenburg Co was divided to form Mecklenburg Co., VA in the south. Henry and Elizabeth Williams were then listed as living in Mecklenburg Co., VA between 1765-1770; therefore this land must have laid in the area that was originally Lunenburg that became Mecklenburg Co., VA in 1764. The Willliams family removed to Orange Co., NC, then Caswell Co., NC about 1770.

Today I searched for Henry Williams in the USGenWeb Lunenburg Co., VA archive files for deeds and court records. Although I did not find any references to Henry Williams, my ancestor, I did find a family record file of Reverend John Williams, that was submitted by JoLee Gregory Spears. Reverend John Williams of Lunenburg Co., VA was a 1st cousin of my ancestor, Henry Williams.

2) The transcript of the Williams Family Bible written by John Drayton Williams, son of Washington Williams, grandson of Gen. James Williams; In 1910 Barbara A. McClung copied John D. Williams’ family bible that he wrote in 1845 which she borrowed from William D. Williams, Jr (Greenville, TN). If I’m not mistaking, this transcription by Barbara A. McClung is housed in the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection at the Knox Co., TN Library and is copied in several rootsweb files online.

I am very excited about all the great publications references I have come across this week on my Williams family. Now I just have to find enough records to prove that Henry Williams is really my ancestor!!! I’m not sure of what the genealogy netiquette of saying this is, but proving that Henry Williams’ daughter, Susannah Williams Brooks Rice was married to Christopher Brooks, and that they were the parents of my ancestor, Christopher Williams Brooks, would disprove existing publications listing George Brooks as C W’s father.

With a little help from my new-found friend in TN, I hope to solve this mystery soon.